Twenty Years of Jamaican Fire
Lisa Waddell-Nash opened The Jerk Pit in 2005 and never looked back. Twenty years later, it's still smoky, still real, and still worth the drive.
The Jerk Pit | Our Story
Lisa Bet on Herself
Born in Jamaica and shaped by careers in insurance, telecom, and coconut water, Lisa Waddell-Nash kept circling back to one idea — a place to eat well and feel at home. She stopped waiting and started cooking.
Two People and a Grill
The Jerk Pit launched in 2005 in a strip mall with a family friend and a grill — no pit, no playbook, just island spice and the will to make it work.
The Baltimore Avenue House
In 2010, The Jerk Pit moved into an abandoned house on Route 1 in College Park — transforming it into a multi-level spot with a dining room, porch patio, and the Oasis Lounge upstairs.
From Two Staff to Twenty
Two decades in: a team of twenty, a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award, features in Eater DC and Style Weekly, and a second tri-level location in Adams Morgan with a rooftop and bigger kitchen.
The Door Is Always Open
For twenty years, UMD students, College Park regulars, and D.C. Caribbean food lovers have made this their spot. Come for the jerk chicken. Stay because it's exactly right.
